


Null and Void 2.0

by OreoLuvr13



Series: Sibling Love [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: F/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Sibling Love, Sick Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-09 14:45:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19478077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OreoLuvr13/pseuds/OreoLuvr13
Summary: Just a little change up to my story "Null and Void." The basic premise is the same.  Peter is still sick. Just add some Tony teasing May about her relationship with Happy and an adorable Morgan who only wants to make her brother feel better.





	Null and Void 2.0

**Author's Note:**

> I was just in the mood to write some more Peter and Morgan sibling fluff. Enjoy!

Peter lets out a frustrated grunt as he tries to get comfortable, kicking off his sheets because it’s just way too hot in here. Strange, he’s never hot. If anything, he tends to run cold now that his body struggles to thermoregulate ever since the bite. He reaches down for the now discarded sheet to wipe away his nose, stopping when he barks out a harsh cough. Man, he feels awful. He HATES getting sick. Luckily, he hasn’t gotten sick all that much since the bite. Maybe a stomach flu here and a couple of bouts of vicious of food poisoning. Most notably, that onetime he ignored Mr. Stark’s warning about the off looking hotdog at the rest stop on the way home from the compound. In the two years, well seven if you count the five years, he and half of the universe vanished, he can count on one hand the amount of times he’s been sick.

But it feels like he’s making up for it now with this nasty cold he’s picked up. The congestion, runny nose, and cough started near the end of the previous school day and has only steadily gotten worse since. It even forced him to cut his patrol short the night before. His nose running non-stop making a gross mess under his mask. That alone was enough for him to call it quits much earlier than usual, but then add the deep exhaustion soaking deep into his bones. He was home by nine and fell into a restless sleep soon after.

“Peter, you awake?” May calls through the door. His congested head can make out another voice besides his aunt’s. Happy’s. That’s right. Happy Hogan spent the night last night there because during the five years Peter was gone his aunt and Happy have gotten together and their relationship was at that level where they spend the night at each other’s places. Don’t get him wrong, Peter it glad that May found some semblance of no pun intended, happiness when he was gone, she deserves it after all she’s been through. But it’s still a little strange to come home to see Happy sitting on the couch with May tucked into his side eating out of take out containers from his and May’s favorite Thai place.

Peter lets out a groan which turns into a cough. He coughs into this comforter in hopes of muffling it. The last thing he wants to do is worry May. After Ben was killed, she worried about Peter all the time. Hence why she went basically bat shit crazy when she found out about him being Spider-Man. She just started to loosen the leash when Thanos appeared. Needless to say Peter’s disappearance and then reappearance has only served to push his aunt’s worry into overdrive.

“Pete, you okay?” May calls again. Even with his congested full head, Peter can hear the worry in his aunt’s voice. “I know it’s Saturday and you don’t have school, but I don’t want you to stay in bed all day. It’s already 11.”

“’M kay, May.” Peter tries to reassure his aunt, but knows he’s failed miserably when he hears his croaky voice. He grimaces when he clears his throat and in a stronger voice tells her, “Give me five minutes.”

“I’ll give you two,” May concedes. Her voice is still laced with worry, but not as much as earlier. Good. “If you’re not up, I’m coming in.”

Peter lets out a loud sigh. May’s two minutes is usually more like five anyway. He’ll take it. He snuggles into his pillow for the few minutes May gives him. But of course just as he’s about to fall back asleep, his door opens.

“All right, kid. Time’s up. Up and at it. You can’t sleep the day away. Go do something with Ned and Michelle,” May says as she makes her way into his room. “Pete, you okay kiddo?”

Peter is just too tired to respond. He used the last of his energy reserves earlier when May tried waking him up. Instead of his words, he hopes a shrug of his shoulders will suffice.

May lets out a loud whistle. “Man it stinks in here! Did you shower last night after patrol?” 

Peter shakes his head. As May’s light footsteps move across the room. She moves to the window, opening it to let some fresh in air into the stagnant room. “Phew, that’s better. Come on, Pete. Get up.”

But, Peter doesn’t. Instead he hikes his comforter up even farther when the cool air hits his overheated skin and the early morning sunlight hits him square in the face.

“Come on, Peter.” May says as she takes a seat next to the teenager on his bed. “You’re not feeling too hot, huh kid?”

Peter shakes his head.

“Oh, Pete,” May whispers as she tries to get him to come out from his cocoon of blankets. “What is it? Your head? You think you have a fever? Peter, come on. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”

But the achiness in his muscles is so deep that he still can’t bring himself to even answer her and he’s too tired to resist her movements when she finally prevails and pulls the comforter away from his face.

“Hey, there we---What the hell! Happy! Get in here!”

**XXXXX**

Tony has been up for several hours working on upgrades to Peter’s suit. Technology has changed in the five years since the Snap. The kid’s suit is in serious need of a upgrade. Morgan is at her mini worktable working on a lego set that Peter gave her last weekend when he came up to the lake house. He’s about ready to suggest taking a bit of a break when FRIDAY informs him that May is calling.

“Petey!” Morgan yells excitedly. “Ask May if he can come play Star Wars with me.”

Tony gives his daughter a smile before he turns his attention back to his AI. “FRI, has the kid been up to anything that would behind why May is calling me this early? Any alerts from his suit?”

“Nothing has triggered any of the protocols you have programmed into Peter’s suit.”

“Ask her!” Morgan says crossing her arms over her chest. Man he and Pepper are going to be In trouble when she’s a teenager.

Tony ignores his daughter’s comment. “You sure, FRI? He didn’t catch himself in any spiderwebs? Miss curfew again?”

“Boss, May Parker hung up.”

“Aunt May is not going to like that,” Morgan says shaking her head, turning her attention back to her legos.

“I’ll call her back. I just want to know what sh…bologna Peter got into first. So talk to me, FRI.”

He and May Parker have gotten closer over the years. Their shared grief of losing Peter bonding them in a way that only tragedy can. But still, May doesn’t just call him to chat. There’s always a reason _. You didn’t see the need to tell me my kid broke his wrist in three places. There’s no way in hell you’re taking my kid to Morocco, Stark. That kid at school is giving Peter a hard time again. Peter had another nightmare last night. It took me ten minutes to calm him down._

Yeah, before May Parker puts his balls in a sling, he would rather know whether or not that it’s because of Peter’s Spider-Man activities.

“May Parker is calling again.”

Tony shakes his head. “Don’t worry about that right now. Review with me what the kid was up to last night.”

“Stopped a purse snatching and helped a four-year old locate her mother on Shore Boulevard in Queens.”

Tony’s waiting for FRIDAY to continue, but the voice stops. “Is that it? That’s a quiet night for him? Did he get hurt?”

“That’s a negative. No injuries were detected and his biometrics were In normal levels when Peter’s suit went offline at exactly 8:47. May Parker hung up.”

“8:47. He’s never done patrolling that early. And last night was Friday. He doesn’t need to be home until midnight,” Tony sighs. Peter is never home from patrol that early. The midnight weekend curfew has been a bone of contention between May and Peter ever since the kid got back because in his words “Bad guys don’t have curfews” and “I might physically be seventeen but my birth certificate says I’m twenty-two. What 22 year old needs to be home by midnight.” So for the kid to be home before nine, something must be going on. And his bet is that’s the reason why May is calling him this early in the morning.

“FRI, call May back.”

“Calling, May Parker.”

She picks up on the first ring. “It’s about damn time, Stark.”

Worry pools in his gut. May’s voice is a mix of frustration (at him no doubt, hopefully it’s because he didn’t pick up when she called and not for something else) and more alarming, worry.

“Good Morning to you too, May.”

“I need you to meet me, Happy, and Peter at the compound.”

“Why?” Tony asks. He grimaces when he hears someone in the background letting out a harsh bout of coughing. “What’s going on with the kid? Why does he need to come to the compound?”

May sighs. “I need you to have your fancy medical staff that you keep on call check him out.”

“Is he okay?” Tony asks. “I had FRIDAY run through his suit’s footage last night and nothing came up. Did—”

“Tony,” May cuts him off. “He’ll be okay, I just want to have him checked out to be on the safe side.”

Tony lets out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding. If May says Peter is going to be fine, the kid is going to be fine. She wouldn’t say that if it wasn’t the case.

“Okay, I’ll have Happy come get you guys.”

“Um…You don’t have to call Happy.”

“Why?” Tony asks as he looks over at Morgan.

“Because…he’s already here.”

Tony lets out a loud whistle. “May Parker, did you have a sleepover last night? Let me guess. Is this the reason why the kid needs to get checked out? Did he faint and hit his head after catching you two?”

“Stark, knock it off. I’m not in the mood.”

May’s aggravation doesn’t stop Tony, it only edges him on. He can’t help but laugh. He only stops when he hears a pitiful moan and another bout of deep coughing. “Who the hell is that?”

“Curse word!” Morgan chimes in.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, Stark.” A tired May says. “Peter’s sick.”

“What’s wrong with Petey?” Morgan asks putting down her lego, head turning towards Tony.

“May, what’s going on with him. What are his symptoms?”

“Congestion. Fever. Runny nose.”

“So a cold?” Tony asks as relief rolls through his body. Nothing bad. It’s just a cold.

“I wish,” May sighs loudly. “He has a rash. A bad one. And his fever is high.”

Shit. “Hang on a sec, May.” Tony looks to Morgan, who is biting her lip nervously. “Squirt, why don’t you go find your mom and help her make us some lunch?”

“Is Peter going to be okay?” Morgan asks with her big, puppy dog eyes.

Tony runs his hand over his daughter’s cheek. “He will be. But I need to talk to Aunt May and Uncle Happy right now. Okay?”

“Okay, Daddy. Tell Peter I love him 3000.”

Tony kisses her on the forehead. “Will do, kid.”

With that Morgan quickly leaves and Tony’s attention is back to the situation at hand.

“May, put Happy on the phone.”

Tony can hear the phone switching hands and soon hears Happy’s slightly panicking voice. “Hey, boss.”

“Talk to me, Hap. How does the kid look?”

“Not good. The rash is all over. May thinks it’s the measles. Bu what if it’s something Spider-Man related?”

“The measles?” Tony asks putting his head in his hands. “Shit. You wearing the watch I got you?“

“My watch?” Happy asks. “You just gave it to me last month for my birthday.”

“I did and I need you to put it on the kid’s wrist. It measures all your vitals. Let’s me keep an eye on your heartrate and your blood pressure. Don’t think I don’t know about that sudden spike yesterday. And I know you were with May,” Tony says with mild amusement at Happy’s stuttered rebuttals.

Changing topics, he says in a more serious tone. “We need to get an accurate temp.”

Tony stands there impatiently in the middle of his garage. He can hear rustling over the phone and May asking Peter to relax and calm down. Finally after what feels like hours, Happy tells him, “Temp’s 102.3.”

Shit. Normally, that wouldn’t be too bad but with Peter’s spider-mutated genes, he runs cold. A fever of 102 for him is near equivalent to 105 degrees to everyone else.

“Okay, get him to the compound. I’ll try and get in touch with Cho.”

“Okay, Tony.”

“Oh and Happy, one more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“Take care of my kid.”

**XXXXX**

“Two of my favorite ladies in one place. How lucky can one guy get?” Tony says as he walks into the kitchen to find Morgan helping Pepper make lunch.

“What did you do now?” Pepper asks.

“Me? Nothing.” Tony says as he walks into the kitchen. “I’m going to have to go to the compound for a couple of days.”

Pepper quirks an eyebrow. “Why? What’s going on?”

“May called me. The kid is sick and he needs to get checked out,” Tony explains. “He can’t very well go to the Flushing Clinic to get a checkup.”

“Nah, I guess not,” Pepper says as she stirs a pot of boiling water. “Did he eat another week old date loaf of May’s again?”

“I wish,” Tony sighs. “We’re thinking it’s something else.”

“Can I come Daddy?” Morgan asks.

Tony shakes his head. “I don’t think so, Squirt. Pete’s not feeling too hot right now.”

“Well that’s why I should go. Petey says I always make him feel better. Like when his senses go all crazy.”

“You’re right, you do. But not this time.” Tony says.

“Peter says I give the best cuddles and you say cuddles are the best medicine,” Morgan says with pouty lips.

“You do say that, Tony.” Pepper says with a smile as she drains the pasta into a colander.

Traitor. Pepper is playing dirty.

“Please, Daddy.” Morgan pleads with the same looks Peter gives him when he asks if he can stay another night at the lake house. “I just want to make Peter feel better.”

“I say we all head to the compound after we eat lunch,” Pepper says as she starts scooping the pasta into bowls.

Yep. She’s definitely traitor.

Tony leans in and whispers into his wife’s ear. “Has Morgan had her MMR vaccine?”

**XXXXX**

A little under three hours later, Tony is waiting by the private entrance of the compound when he sees Happy pulling in with the Parkers.

“Measles? Really?!” Tony yells as a tired looking May opens the front passenger side door. “I never took you as an anti-vaxxer, May.”

“I’m not. Besides, his parents had him vaccinated when he was a kid,” May explains with a clearly aggravated tone. “I got an alert that there was a case in his school. He must have picked it up there.”

Tony walks towards the rear of the car, where Happy has already opened the backdoor. “Well, if he got his shots then how the hell did, he get them?”

“I don’t know. Why do you think I brought him here? I couldn’t risk bringing him to Presbyterian or another hospital with his spider-mutated DNA. But I don’t get it. Like I said, he had all his vaccinations. But he has all the classic signs of the measles. Rash. Cough. Fatigue. Fever. It’s like looking at one of my case studies in one of my old nursing textbooks,” May says as he rubs her forehead. “Do you think it has to do with his Spideryness?”

“Could be. I don’t know,” Tony says.

“You don’t know?” May repeats. “I thought you knew everything about his…condition. I mean you sure as hell knew a lot more about his shenanigans before I did,” May finishes in a frustrated huff.

Tony holds up his hands. “It’s gonna be okay, May. We’ll sort this out and the kid will be good to go in no time.”

“Good, now can you help me get the kid?” Happy calls from the back of the car as he attempts to get Peter out of the vehicle.

“Move aside, Hap.” Tony says when he sees his head of security wrestling with a pair of gangly arms. Peter is not having it as he scrambles away from his mentor. Two feel away and he can feel the heat radiating off the kid. Tony turns around to May. “How high is his fever? Is he even lucid?”

“I don’t know,” May says.

“He’s pretty restless, Tony.” Happy says.

“I bet he is. I would be too if I was running a fever high enough to start melting my brain,” Tony says as he reaches again for one of Peter’s arms. This time successfully. “Easy, kid. It’s just me.”

“Mist’r Stark?” Peter asks through fever bright eyes. Tony can’t help but grimace when he sees how red and irritated the kid’s eyes are. Pink eye. Another sign of measles. May is right the kid has all the textbook symptoms. “I don’t feel so good.”

Tony loosens his grip when Peter mutters the same words that he said more than five years ago on Titan, right before he disappeared. Tony closes his eyes and reminds himself that they’re not on Titan, they’re on Earth and Peter is not going anywhere. Not this time. Not ever again.

“I know kid,” Tony soothes as he starts to pull Peter towards him. “Easy, kiddo. I got you.”

“What do you think, Tony?” Happy asks. “We only think it’s the measles. What if it’s something worse.”

May lets out a gasp. “Don’t…Don’t say that.”

“We’ll figure it out.” Tony says as he takes a good look at his kid. Peter’s a mess. He’s pale under the rash that’s covering his skin. His hair is curlier than usual probably because of the sweat and his shoulders are slumped. Tony doesn’t think he has ever seen the kid look so exhausted. 

“Sorry,” Happy apologizes.

“It’s okay,” May says quietly. “We’re all a little out of sorts right now.”

“Besides, I got something better. I have Morgan here. She’ll have the kid feeling better in no time,” Tony says as he is finally successful in getting the kid to his feet. He puts one of his arms around the kid’s narrow waist and Happy take hint and does the same on the other side, sandwiching the swaying young hero between the two of them.

“’Organ?” Peter’s fevered glazed eyes search the garage. “She here?”

“That’s right, kiddo. She is. Do you really thing that I would be able to keep her away when she heard I was going to see you.”

“Where is she?” Peter slurs still looking around the garage to locate the youngster. “Don’t see her.”.

“Pepper is entertaining her for the time being until you get checked out. She’s already working on a list of movies you guys are gonna watch down in Med Bay once Cho gives the all clear.”

“Not Frozen,” Peter says, chin slipping to his chest.

“That’s something you’re gonna have to take up with Morgan, kid.” Tony says. “Besides it’s a whole franchise now. Frozen 2 and 3.”

“Doesn’t the snowman have his own move too?” Happy adds.

Peter lets out a loud moan as they continue walking towards the Med Bay.

“I feel you kid,” Tony says as they head toward Med Bay.

**XXXXX**

Luckily, Helen was giving a lecture on some new gene theory at Colombia and was able to get to the Compound in a relatively short amount of time. It took just a couple of minutes after her arrival to make her diagnosis. May was right. It’s measles. Not some strange spider-flu. KInda of a blessing and a curse. It’s good that they know what it is. But it also sucks because there is no treatment for the actual measles virus. You have to pretty much let the virus run its course and treat the symptoms. Which basically means IV fluids, fever reducers, and lots of rest.

Which is exactly what Peter is when getting when Tony walks into Med Bay nearly 24 hours after a confused, and fever-ridden Spider-kid showed up at the compound

“Hey,” a somewhat-rested May greets from Peter’s bedside.

“Morning,” Tony says handing her a cup of coffee. “How’s our boy doing?”

“Better,” May says as she takes a sip of her warm beverage. “Helen says here are no signs of pneumonia and his fever is coming down. It was a little under 102 when she last checked.”

No pneumonia. That’s good. Actually, that’s very good. Tony has been reading up on measles ever since May first called and said she thought Peter has contracted the virus. Apparently, pneumonia is one of the worst and sometimes fetal complication of measles.

“So they think the spider bite did something to his immunity?” May asks.

Tony takes the empty seat beside her. “That’s the theory. Helen thinks that the spider bite mutated his acquired immunity in some way. Basically making all the vaccinations he has received null and void. It’s just a theory right now though. That’s why she took some blood samples.”

“So he kicks the asthma and glasses and now has no immunity to the flu, mumps, and everything else he has been vaccinated against. Great,” May says as she takes another long sip of her coffee.

“At least we have an idea of what’s going on now,” Tony says. “And Helen’s on it. She’ll have this figured out in no time. And now that she has some blood samples, she can also manufacture some fever reducers and other anti-biotics that can work with his metabolism. He’ll be up and back to patrolling in no time.”

May nods and gives him a smile. “Thanks, Tony. For everything. I don’t know what I would have done if Peter didn’t know you. What would I have done if I couldn’t bring him here? I know that a lot of times I give you the impression that I’m not thrilled about your relationship with Peter, but I am grateful for it.”

This is probably the nicest thing that May has ever said to him. He honestly doesn’t know what to sat. But luckily, he doesn’t have to say anything when he hears a soft moan and rustling of sheets coming from the hospital bed.

Sure enough, two fever bright eyes are looking at May and Tony.

“Hey, baby,” May as she runs her hand through Peter’s curls, careful to avoid the rash that’s particularly prevalent along his hairline.

“Yeah, kiddo. You with us?” Tony asks as he squeezes the teenager’s blanket-covered foot.

“’hink so,” Peter says in a congested voice. He looks around the somewhat familiar room. He’s been to the Med Bay more times than both May and Tony would have liked. “At the compound?”

“Are you asking or telling?” Tony asks. “How much damage did that fever do?”

May slaps Tony in the ribs lightly before she turns her attention back to her nephew. “What do you remember, Pete?”

Peter closes his eyes as he tries to concentrate. “You trying to get me up. Told me two more minutes.”

“That was yesterday morning, bud.” May explains. “Happy brought you to the compound. You’ve been sleeping pretty much since we got here.”

May leaves out the part of how bad the car ride upstate was. Happy told Tony how Peter was moaning in pain and was pretty restless the whole ride up. Calling out for his parents. Ben. May. Tony. She doesn’t talk how they had to have one of the bots bring down a wheelchair when Peter couldn’t take another step on the way towards Med Bay. May also leaves out the part where Tony had to help Helen and May strip the teenager down to his underwear before they put him in a cooling bath to lower his temp when it got up to 104.3.

“I get hurt?” Peter asks. His still redden eyes look to them in a panic.

“No, Peter,” May replies. “You’re sick.”

“I am?” Peter asks. “What?”

Man the kid is so out of it.

“You got the measles, Underoos.” Tony says.

“Measles? How?” Peter asks in alarm. He turns his head towards his aunt. “May are you an anti-vaxxer?”

Tony can’t help but let out a laugh at the kid’s question. Of course the teenager wasn’t lucid enough to bear witness to Tony asking May the exact same thing the day before. May slaps him in the ribs again.

“No, baby. I’m not. The spider bite did something to your immunity. Basically made your MMR vaccine null and void.”

“Oh,” Peter says as he relaxes against his pillows again.

“How you feeling, Pete?” Tony asks.

“Tired, sore.” Peter says, his eyes already closing. “Head feels stuffed up.” His head starts to droop but then he suddenly jerks up. “Where’s Morgan? She okay? She’s not sick, is she? Thought she’ll be here.”

“She’s fine, kid. Believe me, she would be here if she could. Cho wanted to give you some more time to let you body rest,” Tony says.

It wasn’t just Cho. They all agreed that Morgan should not be visiting Peter when the fever had such an iron grip on the kid. The last 24 hours had been anything but restful. He, May, and Happy could only stand by idly as the kid tossed and turned, calling out for people who weren’t there while his body burned with fever in the vain hopes of fighting of the virus.

Poor Pepper. While Tony has been tending to Peter, she has been left do deal with an anxious Morgan who just couldn’t understand why she couldn’t see her big brother. That all she wanted to do was to see him and give him a hug.

“Go to sleep, baby. We’ll be right here when you wake up.” May says softly running her hand over Peter’s cheek.

“Now that his fever broke, I’ll talk to Cho. She’ll probably let Morgan come down now.” Tony says.

“That’ll be good,” May says as she begins running her hand through Peter’s curls, careful to avoid the knotted ones. Peter sighs contently as he leans into her touch, his body instantly relaxing as he drifts back to sleep.

**XXXXX**

“Petey!” Morgan yells as soon she enters the Med Bay with two popsicles in hand. Cherry for Peter and orange for her.

Tony can see that his daughter is barely containing her enthusiasm. The excess energy is pouring off her as she struggles to stop herself from launching onto the hospital bed, mindful of what Tony told her. Before they entered the Med Bay, Tony had to have a talk with her. Yes, she can finally see Peter. But he’s still feeling pretty tired so he probably won’t stay awake long. Yes, he will want her cuddles. But she had to be careful not to squeeze too tight.

“Hey, Mo Mo.” Peter says with a small smile from his bed. He’s sitting up, but he still looks exhausted. Like the inclined bed is the only thing holding his exhausted body in an upright position. He is definitely doing better than he was yesterday, but he’s still a mess. The rash is still there and no part of his body has been speared. The most unnerving thing is his eyes, they’re still a deep pink. Tony’s nervous that the kid’s unlike Peter appearance might freak his daughter out and cause her to turn and run out of the Med Bay.

But she doesn’t. Without missing a beat, she walks right up to Peter’s bedside. “I brought you a juice pop.”

“Thanks, Mo.” Peter croaks out.

Morgan wrinkles her nose as she hands him his popsicle. “Your voice sounds funny. Daddy said you’re still sick.”

Peter nods as his shaking fingers take longer than they should to open the cold treat. “I am. But I’m feeling better.”

“And now you have Morgan and my bag of goodies that will have you on the road to recovery in no time,” Tony says as he places a duffle bag on the foot of Peter’s bed. It’s filled with comic books, lego sets, and banana cream pudding (the kid’s favorite pudding because they’re still working on soft foods). All of Peter’s favorites. “Here you go, kid.” Tony says as he lifts Morgan on to the bed and she quickly settles in against Peter’s side.

“Dad brought us a StarkPad so we can watch Netflix while he sets up the tv,” Morgan says as she opens her own popsicle. “And Daddy made your favorite baked ziti.”

“He did?” Peter asks.

“Sure did,” Tony says as he starts connecting the tv that Happy and he brought down earlier when Peter was sleeping, “You can thank me later. Your aunt was going to make you her turkey and kale meatloaf. But I figured you’re already feeling like sh…crap enough. Why add to your pain.”

“Thanks, Tony.” Peter says as he turns to his attention to Morgan. “So what are we watching?”

“First, Aladdin.” Morgan says as she squeezes even closer into Peter’s side.

Tony turns back to his task at hand when he sees Peter is comfortable. Well as comfortable as one can be when they’re still running a fever of nearly 103 and still fighting off the measles.

“And then Frozen 3,” Morgan says.

Tony has to muffle his laugh into his shirt when he hears Peter’s loud sigh. Morgan may think it’s’ because Peter’s sick, but Tony has a sneaking suspicion it’s for another reason.

**XXXXX**

“Hey,” May whispers as she walks into the Med Bay to find Tony dozing in a chair by the bedside of a sleeping Morgan and Peter. “You know you can put something else on.” May says when she sees the animated cartoon on the large rv screen. “I don’t think they’ll notice.”

Tony attempts to wipe away the sleep from his eyes with his fists. He must have fallen asleep. No surprise there. It’s been a long and exhausting 36 hours. “Did you get some rest?”

“Some,” May says as she takes the free seat by Tony’s side.

“Some?” Tony smirks at her, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. “Do I need to check Happy’s vitals again?

May slaps his lightly. “Grow up.”

Her cheeks are flushed with his embarrassment. Nowhere near the level of Peter’s when he talks about that girl Michelle. But it’s still there. “Oh come on, May.”

“And you’re a creep. Watching his vitals like that.”

“I monitor because I care,” Tony says.

May frowns. “Wasn’t that the motto of the KGB?”

Tony shrugs. “Don’t know. Could be.”

“They’re cute,” May says looking at Morgan and Peter after a few minutes of sitting there quietly. Tony can’t help but agree. Both are sleeping. Morgan is curled into Peter’s side, her arm laying across Peter’s stomach as the kid is sprawled on his back like a cat, taking up nearly every free inch of space. Their deep even breaths synchronize with each other, with Peter’s slightly nasally breathing talking the lead.

“You’re going to tell him that he’ll probably need all his vaccines again?” Tony asks after a few minutes.

May shrugs her shoulders. “Sure, why not.”

Tony leans back in his chair. Man that was easy. He thought for sure that May would fight him on it. Peter hates needles. He had to help Helen dodge the kid’s flailing arms the day before when the doctor went to start an IV. “Thanks, May.”

Even though she’s looking at Peter, Tony can see her smiling. “Besides, you’re the one who’s gonna be there when he actually gets them.”

“Wait. What? You’re his aunt,” Tony begins to protest.

“Save it, Stark. It’s the least you owe me after you kept the whole Spider-Man thing from me for months. You can’t just be the parent who is here for the good stuff. You have to be here for the not too good parts too. That’s what it means to be a parent.”

Tony looks at Peter as he continues sleeping. His body still extremely pale, but not as alarmingly as it was. Yes, the rash is still looking painful but it seems to have stopped spreading. His chest rising and falling with the slow even breaths mixed with more congestion than Tony would like. The kid is on the mend. May is right. Parents are not just there for the good, but also when things are anything but and everything else in between.

“You’re right, May. That’s what a parent does.”

Plus, he has one secret weapon in his arsenal. Morgan.


End file.
